


In the End (It's Him & I)

by Bibliophile_812



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Married Life, Minor Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:08:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28999527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bibliophile_812/pseuds/Bibliophile_812
Summary: Glimpses of Betty and Jughead throughout the years and the story of their togetherness.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	In the End (It's Him & I)

**Author's Note:**

> Mandatory disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

_“And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.”_

_― Kiersten White, The Chaos of Stars_

He looked at the extended small palm holding cookies for him. The owner of the hand was a little girl, his age, with blonde pigtails and wide green eyes. He pulled down his beanie only a little, feeling less defensive than he usually does when meeting new people. He already liked people who gave him food. So, he felt a surge of fondness towards this girl too. Without words he took the cookies and shoved them in his mouth. The girl watched him with a slight crease between her brows. Then she brushed off the cookie crumbs from her jumpsuit and plopped down beside him. He eyed her with equal amount of interest and suspicion. Nobody really cared about befriending a shy, quiet boy like him. Though his mom assured that is not true, it is only second week at the school. But he saw people around him making friends and playing together. He always sat on the side line. This girl opened her mouth and announced her name in a melodious voice, “I’m Betty. Betty Cooper.”

He hummed in acknowledgement, “I’m Jughead.”

She looked at him in amusement. Not like others whose eyes are clouded with judgement the moment they hear his name. This was genuine curiosity. So, he grinned and told, “This is a nickname.”

She bobbed her head after a moment of deep thought, “I like your name.” And she handed him another cookie from her square shaped lunchbox.

“I like you”, he declared accepting the cookie eagerly.

* * *

His scrawny frame was tumbling under the weight of duvets and pillows. A redhead popped up behind him to support him from back. But he did not need support. He could see the glinting green eyes of the blonde who seems like his destination. Both Polly and Betty are jumping on already piled blankets on the living room. As soon as she saw him, she came running towards him, voice thick with genuine worry, “Oh Juggie! You will fall down.”

“I will not”, his voice came muffled from behind the mountain of pillows. She giggled softly. He loves the sound of that. He loves how her nose crunches up in amusement as her lips curl on the sides. He has just lost his front tooth, so he returned her giggle with a tight-lipped smile. She took some of the pillows nonetheless. He could not deny that it felt easier now to walk without the pile of pillows guarding his vision. Archie dumped his own pile on the floor. He looked out of the window. It’s still snowing. Perfect weather for their fort building activity. But he does not know if the snow would stop today or not. If not, he needs to crash at Andrew’s house. Fred and Mary both love him. But his mind will still wander to his mother’s big belly at night. His parents have informed him that he is going to get a sibling soon. He is excited. So is Betty. She keeps asking about the baby. How long they have to wait before they can meet the baby. Her hands tugged at his wrist breaking his reverie. He let her have his wrist for her artwork. He watched her face while she completed her drawing, her head turned on one side and tongue out in concentration. When she finished, he could not hold his grin looking at her handiwork on his skin. She wrote their names each with their own trademark symbol, Archie’s redhead drawn in red ink, her ponytail, his crown beanie and Polly’s new glasses. But he was amused to see she has added another name as “baby” and painted a poor version of pacifier beside that. He could do nothing but place a kiss on her pink chubby cheek and hoped it expressed how thankful he is to her. For her friendship.

* * *

She was hiding. In an empty classroom where she expected no one to look for her. But still he found her. Her face was tear stricken. Eyes puffy and red. Her usual perfect ponytail swaying in one side. He did not say anything, he just came and hopped up on the desk to sit beside her. His legs started swinging when he settled himself. Without words her head came to rest on his shoulder. She clutched the math test in her hand. She got an eighty seven. Far from perfect and a low grade in Alice Cooper standard. So, she is delaying her meet with her mother. She is hit with another wave of sobs thinking about the disapproving look on Alice’s face.

“Shh, Betts”, he rubs his hand on her arms.

“Mom will be so mad, Juggie. I’m a bad girl”, she cries on his shoulder.

Immediately he shifts and uses his index finger to lift her chin to look in the eyes, “No Betty. You are so good.”

“But I’m not perfect”, she says in defeat.

He shrugs, “You are you. And that makes you more than perfect.”

Then he does the sweetest thing she could imagine. He pulls off his beanie from his head and places it on hers. It feels warm like a security blanket. Half her worries already melting away. She touches the soft material and leans in to kiss him on cheek.

“Thank you, Juggie.”

* * *

She could not believe it’s the last summer before their middle school. Her dad gifted her a diary recently and after that it has become her hobby to write down every day. Every small details of day. Every catchy lyric of songs. Every heart warming dialogues she hears in movies. Currently, she was occupied copying the lyrics of “The little mermaid” while the song blasted through her radio. A light tap on the windowpane broke her concentration. She rushed to the window to see Jughead’s goofy face adjusting the dark grey beanie on his head as he balanced himself on the wobbling ladder. She peeked down and could see Archie’s redhead keeping alert eye towards the front door.

“Juggie!” she could not express how happy she was seeing him there. Seeing both her friends. Partly, because she was grounded for too much hanging out in the sun and getting a terrible tan, but mostly because their presence always made her happy.

“Hiya Betts”, he gave her the trademark lopsided grin that revealed his dimples. He hated those dimples but she liked them. “Wanna join us for a trip to Swimming hole?”

Her heart dropped, “I can’t, Juggie. I’m grounded.”

The disappointment in his eyes almost broke her heart as much as her own sadness. A moment later, his eyes had a new glint of mischief and he whispered, “Or, you can just escape. We have the ladder.”

She contemplated the idea for some time before giving in fully. Her mother was at a conference and will come home later at night. Her dad is busy with work in the living room. He won’t notice his daughter gone if there’s no noise at the door. Generally, Polly would tag along with them. But she has a great sense of responsibility. And all of them know that she would not allow her sister to go out when she is rightfully grounded by their mother. But Polly is in her room and she won’t check on her sister at least until lunch time. So, not a bad idea. She enthusiastically nodded making her ponytail swishing in the air. She grabbed her swimming suit and got dressed quickly while the two boys waited at the base of the ladder. Once she was ready, she threw her towel down from window and Archie caught it with perfect skill. Jughead steadied the ladder as she climbed down carefully. Three of them raced to their bikes. Mary Andrews watched them from her study window with a fond smile, prepared to defend the little gang from the wrath of Alice Cooper, if needed.

The cool water against their skin was comforting. They swam around lazily. Occasionally splashing each other with water. Laughing like they did not care for anything in the world. Jughead tugged on her ponytail to irritate her. She took the revenge by pushing him under water. Afterwards, they dried themselves under the sun and she made a crown with daisies. Jughead put it on top of her blonde head and nodded with satisfaction, “You look like a Goddess”.

She blushed at the comment.

* * *

He completed the word ‘Serendipity’ on scrabble board with a toothy grin. When he looked at her and waggled his eyebrows in challenge, she huffed in mock annoyance. They were playing on the floor of Cooper’s living room. They have recently started keeping weekly score of the games. She was the winner of last two games. But this one seems tough to win as Jughead is giving her a hard time. Archie got bored after first five minutes and was now scrambling through the video games piled on couch to play next. Polly has retired to her room giving excuse for homework, but she knows better. Her sister is behaving differently since she started high school. Four of them have been practically inseparable from childhood. But now Polly seems busier with her new girl gang, Betty noticed her recent interests in trendy fashion magazines. Does that happen to everyone? She looks up to her best friends, one perched on couch intently going through video games collection, another looking for next big word on scrabble board. Will they change? Will they forget her? Maybe. Who knows? High school will have hot girls. Football practice. New activities. Suddenly, her eyes fill up without warning. At this precise moment, Jughead’s eyes find her and she selfishly feels happy at the worried expression that crosses his face.

“Betts, are you okay?”

She nods, “Yeah. Just…will you forget me when we go to high school?”

She tilts her head to examine his face. He looks confused for a moment. Then he grabs one of her hands and threads their fingers together. A thousand butterflies take off in her stomach.

“You are impossible to forget, Cooper”, he smiles at her. His smile is playful but his eyes are sincere. And, she believes him. She believes that even if the whole world abandons her, he will find his way to her. Always.

* * *

She does not know when it started. She was used to seeing Archie helping his dad, shirtless, around the house. But then it was not Archie. It was Jughead only in his boxers whom she had stumbled onto that morning. She saw him shirtless for the first time in her life after they have grown up to be teenagers. She has been coming to see him in his trailer since they were six and chased each other around in Riverdale Elementary playground. She has seen him in ridiculous superhero printed sleep pyjamas. She has seen him all covered in mud. Hell, she has even seen him in his underwear when they went for swimming together. But now it felt different. So different that she felt heat rushing all over her body.

He looked clueless, trying to rub the sleep away from his eyes, his hair flopping every other way without his beanie on.

“Betty?” when he managed to make enough sense of the scene in front of him, he croaked. She was blushing furiously even without knowing. When he got so tall? When his chest got all filled up? Since when the exposed olive skin on his body is sending a shiver down her spine? _Come on, it’s Jughead!_ She scolded herself mentally, wrenching her eyes away from his bare chest and offering a sweet smile instead. He still looked puzzled, “What time is it?”

“I…I thought to catch up with you before class. You know, the English essay we talked about?” she blurted out.

“Um…yeah. Come in”, he held the door wide open for her to step inside. Her knees gave up as soon as she was inside and she sank on the couch. The trailer looked fairly clean. Probably the cleanest since his mom left with his sister for Toledo. She knew about FP’s alcohol problems. She also knew that FP was struggling to get back on his feet. Jughead believed in his dad. And that was enough for her to believe in him. He disappeared into the only bedroom in the tiny trailer and emerged after some time looking quite fresh in a grey t-shirt. His beanie back on its place. Her heart stopped pounding. And she gave the whole incident the explanation of a sudden surprise.

* * *

He did not even know why Archie dragged him to a stupid party he hated. He hated everything here. The loud music, the dancing, the socializing. So, he found a quiet corner and remained there hiding in the shadow, munching the nachos he managed to get from kitchen before being approached by Ethel and practically running away from her. Everything felt meaningless. A party before the start of high school, as if that’s an extra ordinary event. _Could anything be more pretentious_! He thought rolling his eyes internally. A moment later, he saw her. And everything about this evening lit up. Every tiny detail he was loathing till now suddenly made sense. She wore a dark green flowy dress that looked gorgeous against her creamy smooth skin. Her golden hair tied back in usual ponytail but few strands skipping the elastic and hanging loosely around her face. Her big green eyes shining with innocence and excitement. Her bee-stung pink lips pouting only a little, naturally. When she saw him, she beamed making a beeline for him. And he wondered what he had done to deserve to be the source of her smile. She was an angel. Sweet, kind, beautiful. He was a weird loner from wrong side of the tracks. They were two parallel lines. They are never meant to be together. She is fated to end up with handsome jocks like Reggie or Archie. But here she was. Smiling at him like he was the only one she could see in the whole room. She grabbed his hands in hers and whispered happily, “Oh Jug, can you believe we will start high school tomorrow?”

“It feels surreal”, he deadpanned. She slapped across his chest and mock glared at him, her fond smile never faltering.

“Let’s get out of here and I will tell you all about the book I’m reading”, she offered looking around. He would follow her to the end of the world if she tells him to.

* * *

He did not know that the first year in high school would change their lives in an irreversible way. A new rave-haired girl, lone successor of Lodge empire will roll into town in a black limo wearing 5-inch heels and pearls around her neck. And, his childhood best friend Archie Andrews would fall head over heels in love with her. Veronica fitted into their weird friendship puzzle perfectly. After first few days even he felt that the New York royalty was only missing piece of their trio’s dynamics, loner son of a gang leader, perfect girl-next-door and all-American jock. Soon, they forgot that she did not exist in their life, mere weeks ago.

He could barely believe it was already their Freshman year and Homecoming was around the corner. He abhorred dances just like he hated parties. But who was he to deny the green doe eyes when they looked into his and her melodic voice sang in his ears, “Are you going to ask me for Homecoming Dance, Jug?”

He grinned like an idiot and replied, “Only for you, Betty Cooper.”

The radiant smile she gave him was enough to brighten his whole life. Even the formal dress up and torturous evening among hormone-driven high schoolers could not dampen his mood when he had the most beautiful woman, dressed in a baby blue off-shoulder gown, in his arms. Her hair was styled to pull to left side with hairpins which highlighted her bare right shoulder where dance floor lights slipped on her smooth skin. She was the embodiment of happiness for him. As she tugged his hands to place them softly on her waist and placed her own palms on his shoulder, he could not help but notice how perfectly they fit. His hand meticulously covering the curve of her waist. Her head reaching the joint of his neck when she placed her head on his chest. His breath was caught in the throat.

Later, they would go to Pop’s and he would tell her that she looked gorgeous. She would cry and open her palms to him showing the crescent shaped scars which was a result of her recent coping mechanism to meet Alice Cooper’s impossible standards. He felt rage bubbling through him. He knew that Betty was under constant scrutiny from her mother to perform better. But this broke his heart. He took her palms in his and kissed them without thinking. He made her promise that she would not do that anymore. She clutched on the lapel of his shirt, buried her face in his chest again and promised, voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. She always hated the word ‘perfect’ and he never used that on her. He told her that she was beautiful with all her flaws and weaknesses.

* * *

“Blue & Gold is not dead, Juggie. It’s just in hibernation.”

“Oh yeah? Let’s start Riverdale’s very own ‘In Cold Blood’ as a column to revive our paper.”

With that two innocent teenagers got roped into a series of murder mysteries that started as an unusual disappearance of a wealthy high school kid. He was not sure that his writing style was suitable for school newspaper. But with Betty editing and suggesting changes, he was able to fit his voice nicely in the investigative column. The Jason Blossom murder case was weird. Probably because both of them were too close to it. Jason was a football player in Senior year of their school. He was a rich kid who was in love with Polly Cooper, Betty’s elder sister. That was a fact discovered later. After Polly went missing mysteriously and Alice claimed to send her to some mental health facility to get help. When they found out Polly’s whereabouts, they learnt that she was in fact pregnant with Jason’s babies. In the meantime, the Police did a lousy job of arresting his father, FP Jones, for the murder. His father was a struggling alcoholic, but he was nowhere near to be a murderer. He took that injustice to his heart knowing that his father’s only fault has been living in the wrong side of the tracks. The Southside was for poor people, people who occasionally sold drugs to the rich kids of Northside to earn a living. But the town of Riverdale treated them as plague. The more people raised accusatory fingers to that part of town, the more he wore his Southside connections with pride. They chased the story with all their honesty. Not only because it was close to their heart, but also for their quest to know the truth. They solved it at the end. Of course, they did. They could make every impossible possible when they were together. Friends called them the ‘Detective Duo’. But that was not what came out of the whole investigation. It was a success, yes. But for them the better success was the first kiss in the newspaper office. Finally. After a decade of friendship.

One evening he was working late. it was just after his father got wrongly arrested. He pushed all his friends away, including her. He did not want them to get pulled into his mess of life. He would solve it alone. She closed the door with a slam. His head snapped up.

“Betty…what the…”, she cut him with a firm kiss on his lips. She smelled like vanilla and peach. She pulled his beanie away from his head and threaded her fingers in his curls. He might have been surprised at first. But a moment later, he was hungrily kissing her back, pulling her closer by waist. They were lost in their first kiss. Enjoying every small detail of it, the feel of their lips against each other’s, his tongue sweeping her bottom lip, taste of their mouths. And he wanted more. Kissing Betty Cooper was a bliss in itself. When they broke apart for air, their foreheads were rested together, eyes closed. He noticed a shy smile forming on her lips when he opened his eyes. She opened her eyes and he got lost into the forest green. He crashed his lips against hers for another deep, languid kiss.

* * *

They left the Junior Prom dance floor in hurry to go back to his trailer. FP was out of town for two days. And, they vowed to make the most of their time alone. As they started walking on the sidewalk outside school, hand in hand, cool night breeze kissing their faces lightly, Betty felt her stomach doing flip flops in anticipation. Trapping her bottom lip between her teeth, she kept stealing side glances at the boy walking beside her, taking in his handsome side profile. She was shamelessly gawking at his pointed nose and sharp jawline and the rogue strand of inky hair when he stopped and turned to face her with a mischievous smile, “Are you ogling me, Cooper?”

She felt a blush creeping up her neck but chimed, “I’m allowed to ogle you.”

He quirked an eyebrow playfully at her. She chewed her bottom lip again. They never talked about the labels. It never seemed necessary. But her thoughts were promptly interrupted by one drunk sturdy guy. One of their jock classmates, Moose. He simply shoved Jughead and laughed when he was caught off-guard and stumbled back, their hands separated in the momentum.

“Hey loser, what are you doing with a sexy babe like her?” Moose’s words were slurred. He still had one of his hands placed on Jughead’s shoulder, ready for another shove. She had enough. Her kickboxing lessons come handy as the powerful uppercut sent Moose falling straight on his back. The football player groaned with disbelief. His eyes widened in awe as he watched Betty’s finger waggling in front of his face, she hissed, “Don’t you dare to touch my boyfriend. Ever.”

She was going for a kick in his balls, but said boyfriend caught her by her waist and pulled her away from the writhing body of Moose Mason. She tried to free herself from him but his grip tightened, “It’s okay baby. You proved your point.”

She managed to twist her body to look at his face. He was grinning. His eyes were sparkling with pride and adoration. She could read them loud and clear. The look he was giving her like she hung the moon, was too much to bear. Her heart felt so full that she feared it would spill. She curled her hands around his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

When they parted, noses brushing against each other’s, she blurted out, “I love you.”

He immediately pulled back a little to look her into eyes. She could see he was searching her face for something. She knew what he was searching for. The truth. So, she repeated her words again, cupping his face in her palms, “I love you, Jughead Jones.”

His lips twitched into a wide smile, “Betty Cooper, I love you.”

* * *

The Cooper house was eerily quiet. It has become quiet after Alice and Hal’s divorce and Polly’s decision to leave with her kids and start a small job in Greendale. But today the quietness feels frightening for him. The only sound is coming from Alice’s vegetable chopping and he is dreading any moment the knife actually would be on his throat. Or, his dad’s. To break the silence, FP cleared his throat loudly and started, “So…”

Alice cut him as soon as he opened his mouth, “Are you guys doing this for any financial benefit?”

“What? Mom, no!” Betty exclaimed. He slipped his fingers to pry open her fist. He knows that she was going to dig her nails again. She has not done it for a long time, since she promised him. But he cannot particularly blame her if she breaks that promise today. From the time they announced their decision to get married before college starts, Alice is giving them a typical furious Alice Cooper treatment. He himself felt unnerved around the elder Cooper woman, but he tried, “We love each other, Mrs. Cooper.”

She snorted, “Huh! FP, will you talk to your dreamer of a son, or should I?”

His father ran a hand over his face and defended in a tired voice, “Alice, they have taken a decision. They are adults. I think we should respect them.”

He knows that his father is concerned too. They both think it’s very early to get married. And, Jughead does not deny that. But when it comes to Betty, he knows what he is doing. He does not need another ten years or meet thousand other girls to make up his mind. She is the one. He feels alive and happy just looking at her. If she feels the same way, then there is no point in delaying the marriage. Alice’s frown deepened as a look of softness crossed her features for a fleeting moment. But then she was back again, “Just because you are legally allowed to marry does not mean you should.”

“You are impossible, Mom”, Betty stood up abruptly. “I love him. I cannot imagine the rest of my life without him. We are getting married and that’s final.”

Alice pressed her lips into a thin line. But she did not argue anymore.

* * *

“Oh my God!! It’s wedding time!!!” Veronica’s loud voice made him groan and others chuckle. They were still in their blue robes. Gathered in their booth in Pop’s, milkshakes in front of them. Betty tucked under his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. Kevin and Veronica jumping in excitement on the seat opposite to them. Archie has a soft smile on his lips and his gaze is flickering between his squealing girlfriend and unresponsive best friends.

“Can we order some food first?” he tries to diffuse the situation that made half the diner staring at them.

“Cake. We need to finalize cake!” the brunette ignored him.

Kevin agreed easily, “And, Betty’s dress. When are we going for dress shopping?”

He cast a warning look at Archie, clearly unimpressed with his best friend’s girlfriend. But Archie was wearing such a fond expression that his glare failed miserably.

“Relax guys”, Betty replied casually while twirling the red and white striped pipe in her fingers. “I’m wearing my Mom’s dress. And we are having a small wedding.”

“B, are you kidding me? This is your _first_ marriage!”

“Excuse me?” he almost choked on his milkshake. The raven-haired girl looked at him pointedly and continued with her planning, “Anyways, we need to plan a wedding.”

“Really V, it’s only family and close friends. We already fixed the time in Riverdale chapel for the ceremony. We don’t want anything big.”

That may not be true, he thought. The small gathering was because he cannot _afford_ anything big. She deserved everything in the world. She deserves to be married to a man who can give her anything, plan a royal wedding, take her to extravagant holidays. But she chose him. The son of a gang leader, who grew up in trailer park, the loner weirdo from wrong side of tracks.

Once they were left alone by their friends, he pulled her closer, tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear and sighed, “Betty, you deserve so much more. You deserve the best.”

“You are the best for me”, she simply said. Her eyes shimmering with so much affection that he could not doubt her.

But he still felt worthless, “I know you must have dreams for your wedding. Every girl has. I also know that I could not fulfil them…”

He was cut by a kiss on his lips.

“Yes Juggie. I have my wedding day dreams. And they keep changing with time but only one thing remained constant over the years. You. I don’t care how big the wedding is or what dress I wear or where the venue is as long as the person waiting for me at the altar is you.”

* * *

It’s a beautiful fall day. The small chapel in Riverdale is adorned with white flowers. She is nervous. Tugging the sleeves of her wedding gown. It’s her mother’s wedding dress. Alice Cooper did not approve of this. She wanted a grand wedding. In case of Polly, she could not do it because of all the drama of teenage pregnancy and murdered boyfriend. After that, making Betty’s life perfect had become her motto. In a very Alice Cooper way. But it’s her wedding day. If she listened to her mother, the marriage itself would have been labelled as “too hasty and idiotic”. She does not care what Alice says. She knows she loves him. He is the one for her. She does not need to wait for a right person. Because her right person has been with her since the age of six. It was an easy decision. As easy as kissing him goodnight every day. Or, watching Netflix together. Her stomach gives a nervous swoop as Veronica finishes her hair styling and drags her in front of a full-size mirror. She can practically hear her own heartbeats. Sensing her nervousness, her best friend gives a soft squeeze to her shoulder and whispers, “Don’t worry. He is more nervous than you.”

She is essentially shaking while walking through the aisles. Clutching her father’s arms. The same father who left them to have his own life away from them. Away from their controlling mother. But Hal Cooper is looking nothing but genuinely proud at this moment. And her eyes are filling. Her heart is swelling with so many emotions. She can see her niece and nephew with ring boxes, both are clinging to their mother’s legs. They are too small to be ring bearers. But it was her dream to have them as ring bearers in her wedding. So, there they are. Veronica and Cheryl are looking so pretty in emerald green bridesmaid dress. Archie and Kevin have cleaned up nicely, they look like actual grown-ups in fitted suits. She smiles a little thinking back to their little selves, running noses, bleeding knees and ugly cries. And then she sees him. He is standing at the altar. She can say that he is nervous. Without his signature beanie, he is rubbing the back of his neck. A tell too familiar to her. He is looking devilishly handsome in the tailored suit, Veronica specially fought with him to wear. His gaze lands on her. His features soften, he stops his nervous fidgeting. The fond smile on his face is enough for her to forget every second thoughts, every worry. It does not matter who are around them. It’s him waiting for her at the end of this path and that’s everything.

* * *

She squinted her eyes in the bright sunlight, basking in the warm feeling of the body pressed against her back, a strong hand curled around her waist. This was late for her. She is used to wake up before sunrise. But yesterday night they hardly slept. A bashful smile creeps its way into her lips as she thought back to last night. The way his lips and tongue played with her body. The way his name filled her moans. The pleasure of riding high. The feeling of him inside her. As she moved her hand to pick up her mobile from the bedside table, the ring on her finger glistened in sunshine. Once again, she was overwhelmed with the blissful feeling. Carefully, she twisted her body to face him without waking him up. Her body protested with ache in all the right places. She blushed furiously even though no one is there to see. His face looks relaxed in rest. Loose curls hanging over his forehead. Breathing slow and steady. She ran a finger on an angry looking hickey just below his collarbone. She knows it’s childish but she still felt the marking made his _hers_. Her husband. One of his eyes peeps open, then another. And, she is greeted with her favourite shade of blue from under his long lashes. His hands on her waist tightened.

“Morning gorgeous”, he murmured in gruffy voice.

She hummed in pure pleasure and placed a soft kiss on his lips, “I love seeing you as my husband.”

He chuckled, the rare one that deepens his dimples, “I love being your husband, Betts.”

* * *

“You know, that’s creepy, right?” his nose is scrunched in faux annoyance but his voice is full of amusement. She thinks that he looks adorable when he does that. She brushes the ever unruly curl from his forehead only for it to flop back over his soft blue eyes, “Did you forget your binocular which you used to spy on Mrs. Belle?”

“I was in third grade!” he protests.

“More reason to qualify for creepier”, she places a chaste kiss on his lips and moves to get out of the bed. He whines in protest and his grip on her waist tightens. She has no haste to leave the warmth of his body either. But they have invited Archie and Veronica for lunch. She should get started on the cooking. He has his face buried in her neck and snoring loudly to prove that he has gone back to sleep. But she knows better. He has one ticklish spot, on his side, just below his ribs. She innocently moves her hands first to his jawline, tracing it lightly. Then on his chest, feeling his bare skin catching goose bumps under her fingers. Then her hand slips to the side and he immediately squirms away giving her perfect opportunity to slip out from under the covers. When he pouts, she bends slightly to touch her lips on his forehead and mutters, “Good morning to you too, Mr. Jones.”

“I better not catch you looking at me again while I take another round of nap”, he grumbles.

She laughs walking towards their kitchen, “No promises.”

* * *

Jughead closed the door with almost no sound and made his way to the kitchen. But the scene inside, made him stop. His favourite collection of old songs is playing in her mobile speaker. She is in one of his old baggy t-shirts and her cute pink pyjama shorts. A bounce in her steps and a twinkle in her eyes as she is swaying to the beats of music. Her golden ponytail is bobbing with her each move. Her hands are busy stirring the pot on stove. She is humming away with Jim Morrison. “Come back, baby/ Back into my arm”. Their small apartment is smelling of delicious food and domesticity. They have been married only for a year. But the familiarity of all these seems like a lifetime. Or more. Someone to come home to. He simply stood there, mesmerized by his beautiful wife, by all the happiness radiating through each surface of the house. Their shared space. At this precise moment, Betty looked at him and her whole face brightened, “Juggie! You are home early!!”

“Want me to go back and do some more work?” he joked, closing the distance between them in long strides. His hands sneaked around her waist and he sniffed the food from over her shoulder, “Smells amazing, baby.”

She giggled, “You are so easy to please.”

He shrugged shamelessly, “What can I say? I’m a simple man.”

She turned her body to face him and her hands wrapped around his neck, kissing him on the lips.

“How was your day?” he asked in between kisses.

She filled him in on the weird and regular customers at the café she does part-time waitressing. Stories from her morning classes. Then a shopping trip to nearby mall with her sister who came for a sisterly visit today. Apparently, her high school best friend Ginger Lopez invited her for a week at their new house in West Haven. So, Polly was here with the twins. The Cooper sisters did not want to miss this lucky chance to catch up. She told him about how much cuter the twins became since they last saw them (which he was sceptical of because they only saw them three months back). While speaking of Polly’s babies, her features softened, she almost melted in his chest. Gripping a fistful of his shirt, she hid her face in his chest and said something. Her voice was so muffled by the fabric, he could not hear her. So, he cupped her cheeks and forced her to free her face from his shirt. He was amused to see how pink her cheeks have become.

“You were saying something?”

She closed her eyes and started fidgeting with his sleeves, like she does when she is nervous or embarrassed. Then without meeting his eyes, she replied, “I was thinking about our babies, Jug. A mop of black hair and soft blue eyes, just like you, running around the house.”

He grinned big, “Oh yeah? What about golden hair and green eyes?”

“Okay Mister, we will have one with each combination”, she giggled. He hooked his arms behind her knees and lifted her up. She squealed with this sudden movement, grabbing his shoulders tight. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling the familiar scent of vanilla and peach and mumbled, “Better start working on it, then.”

* * *

Attending a party with her law school friends was the last thing he wanted to do on a Saturday. After week long exhaustion from work, he wanted to sleep and maybe cuddle with his wife for some time. They never get time for that now. But she insisted on going. Socializing is a big part. It helps in making connections. Those connections will help her in future. He did not have much energy left to argue. And when has he ever been able to deny her anything when she batted those long eyelashes and looked at him with green doe-eyes?

The party was boring as he expected. She engaged in small talks and discussions about their classes with people. He headed for the bar after some time, unable to concentrate on any discussion. One of her classmates, Chuck Clayton, came with him. He thought of him as a typical pretentious asshole. Clayton family owns a law firm in Lower Manhattan which Chuck kept bragging about and his not so subtle glances at Betty’s long legs and hips made Jughead’s blood boil. He tolerated him with clenched teeth trying to avoid making a scene in front of her friends. But at the bar when Chuck sipped his whiskey and placed a hand on his shoulder asking, “how did you get to marry a hot chick like her dude?” he could not suppress his anger.

He shrugged his hand off his shoulder and replied, “I expect a little more respect for my wife, Clayton.”

Chuck held up his hands as if in surrender but whispered, “Did you get married in Vegas while drunk and then she simply could not shake you off? Because, that makes sense. Who would want to give up on those sexy legs and perfect ass even if it was a drunk mistake?”

He could not take it anymore. He knew perfectly well that Betty is not a damsel in distress and he was not her knight in shining armour. She is quite capable of protecting her own honour. But the words coming from Chuck’s filthy mouth prompted his fist to hit the other man’s jaw hard. Chuck stumbled back, his whiskey splashed all over himself, eyes wide as if he did not expect such a rough move from a lanky guy like Jughead. There were whisperings all around them. He did not pay attention to them. As soon as he saw Betty, he grabbed her hands and commanded, “We are leaving. Now.”

She faltered at his authoritative tone. He never used that on her before. He never used that on anyone except when dealing with Serpent stuff for a brief period in high school. But she regained herself quickly and mumbled quick apologies to her friends for having to leave early.

The entire way home, they did not talk in the cab. Once they were inside their apartment and he slammed the door shut, she turned to fix him with a cold stare.

“What the hell was that, Jug? Why did you create a scene in front of my friends?”

“You mean me standing up for you against your douchebag friends because apparently you don’t do that?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she crossed her arms across her chest.

“It means Betty, you never call out the assholes like Chuck on their actions. Do you enjoy the attention? Are you bored of a married life now?”

“For your information, I was referring to your leaving the party without any explanation. But if you rather want to talk about Chuck Clayton and his not-so-noble intentions, I am fine with that. I never call him out because I simply ignore him. I ignore him because giving him attention will only mean that his actions affect me, when they don’t. If after a lifetime of togetherness, you are doubting my loyalty towards our relationship, then I don’t think it is as strong as I knew it was.”

Her eyes were full to the brim, threatening to spill any moment. And he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and brush the tears away. But the bitterness in him did not let him take a step forward. On a whim, he threw the next words at her, “Maybe it is not.”

He knew that he should apologize to her. He knew that she was not sleeping but crying entire night while pretending to sleep. He knew that because he too could not fall asleep. But he did not move. Their bodies laid on their bed with their backs facing each other. Both awake. Nobody making a move to talk.

That was the first time he let his anger and frustration win over their love. Maybe that was the first crack in their marriage.

* * *

She was late again. She had her internship in a fancy law firm and she worked hard for it. When she got the opportunity, some of her classmates whispered behind her back that she was not efficient enough to maintain the internship and some of them downright told her so. Though she knew that their opinions did not matter, she had to prove herself. In a quest of proving her worth, she missed the dinner plan she had with Jughead for a whole week. He understood her point of view and postponed it for last three times. Tonight was fourth. But she was in no condition to worry about that. Today she fully prepared to leave on time to make it to their reservation. Her task was to write her version of arguments for an ongoing case. When the senior lawyer who was handling the case, reviewed her file, he used some sharp comments to criticize her few careless mistakes and typos. She knew that he only had her best interests at heart. He praised her on many occasions for her intuition and logical thought process. But today the smallest hint of judgemental tone in his voice made her grit her teeth. Why was not she good enough? How could she make those mistakes? What if now everybody thinks that she is useless? What if her classmates now laugh at her? She was spiralling into the rabbit hole of self-criticism. So, when she was met with the scene of her husband waiting for her at the dinner table, clearly starving, she snapped.

“I told you not to wait for me, Jug.”

“It’s okay baby. I wanted to talk to you.”

“Not now, please.” She sighed, frustrated.

“Then when, Betts?” he sounded exasperated, too. “you never have time for us. Do you even remember how long it has been we sat and talked? You are always tired. You come home and fall asleep.”

“I said not now”, she barked. “Can you give me a damn minute after I come home? I’m working really hard for this internship, you of all people should understand. No. All you care about is yourself and how much time you get for sex.”

“You gotta be kidding me”, he exhaled sharply. “I care about your health, Betty. You are overworking and overstressing yourself. Can’t you see that?”

“Thank you very much for your concern. I’m perfectly fine. But I think I’ll just go to Veronica’s for the night.” She spun on her heels, turning the doorknob.

“Don’t do this”, he pleaded with a hint of warning in his voice, “don’t try to escape. We need to face this. We need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you”, she retorted.

He stood frozen on the spot. She stormed out of their apartment and slammed the door on her way out. She leaned on the door frame, her legs suddenly wobbly, her eyes stinging. She knew that she should go back. She should talk to him. He was probably standing just on the other side, leaning his back against the wooden panel of the door. All she needs to do is to open the door and walk back into his arms. But she could not do it. She stood there for a long time, tears flowing over her cheeks, head throbbing. For the first time in her life, she let her ego make the decision rather than her heart.

* * *

They both had their scholarship covering most of the expenditure in Yale. They enjoyed the college life like any other couple who decided to share an apartment instead of dorm rooms. The rings on their fingers did not matter much except in the cases of over-interested guys asking her out or pretty girls flirting with him. She would always make sure to show off her ring whenever anyone as much as glanced towards her or him with a purposeful smile. Her classmate Josie once asked her if she regrets being married so young, if she thinks that she was missing out so much. She had no idea what she was missing. It’s not really she was ever interested in a fancy date or college parties. She loved spending time with Jughead inside their apartment, cooking, cuddling and watching Netflix. And whenever he managed to have an extra shift in library, he would take her out for a dinner or a movie. Those evenings they would enjoy their ‘date’s. So, the reality did not set in until after they moved to New York, he started an actual job in New York Times and she started her classes in Law school. She was the only undergrad recruitment in Columbia in their year. She worked extra hard to prove her merit and cover her inexperience. Law school experience was totally different than their college. Here it was all sweat and blood. She did not have time for any part-time job. Paying the bills was fully on Jughead. They did not have time to cook or cuddle in weekdays. Even weekends passed with her buried in coursework and him following a new lead for his latest article investigation. They were staying in the same room, sharing the same bed but distance grew to pull them apart slowly. It did not happen in one day. It was gradual. A fight here. An argument there. Both being stubborn not to make it up first. They were each other’s easiest target for pouring their frustration out. Until one day she realized that they were broken, already. It was like they were under the effect of morphine while some organs were removed and they were unable to feel the pain at that time. Suddenly, the pain hit them with full force when the effect of the drug wore off and they simply had no other way but to succumb to it. When she mentioned separation that evening, he did not flinch or yell or gave her a look of disbelief. He simply nodded, “Yeah, I think you are right.”

That was what they agreed upon after a long time of disagreements.

* * *

He vaguely acknowledges the name of the law firm as he makes his entry to the office. It was the same law firm where she was an intern. Now she works here. Each step takes more force from him than the last one. His heart beating in his chest violently. A cold numb feeling taking over his existence. She wanted to meet. She wanted to sign the divorce papers together in front of her boss, Jessica who was handling their dissolution of marriage. It was really only a fancy name for ripping his heart away from his chest. He did not want this. Yes, he agreed for a temporary separation when she proposed that. But since when they are not able to find their way back to each other? Since when they are thinking of their estrangement as a more permanent arrangement than their passion to get back together? He does not know the answer to any of this. Still, he is here simply because she asked him to. He was never good at denying her anything. He pushed the door open to her chamber with shaking hands, totally forgetting about the social etiquette of knocking. She is standing in front of the wall wide glass window. Her fingers splayed on the glass like she is trying to grasp something invisible. With the sound of door, she whirled around. Her eyes red-rimmed, he could not say from tears or tiredness. Her lips promptly curved into a polite smile. He hated it. He hated how her smile did not light up her eyes. He hated how she looked all fake and professional. Alice Cooper would have been proud seeing her impassive face now. But Jughead Jones has always been able to see right through her façade of calmness and perfection. He knew that she was trying to hide herself from him. He did not know what hurt more, her treating him like an outsider or failing to do so.

***

Jessica is an ideal boss. Supportive and appreciative. But maybe today she did not need her support. Today she needed the safe haven of two strong arms that have surrounded her for the greater part of her life, from the elementary school playground to a tiny New York city apartment. He looks good in his usual grey coloured S-t shirt and faded jeans. His hair unkempt in a way that makes him only more attractive in her eyes. His eyes are worn-out and she wants to ask how many nights he did not sleep. She wants to know if his old insomnia is back again. She wants to ask him if he put the towel in dryer, if he watered the plants, if he had any breakfast today. She does not want to go through a heart wrenching process of divorce. She does not want to go home to an empty bed for another night. She was angry at him for so many things, she was tired of their everyday fights. But now it all feels like the bliss of domesticity. She wants the right to be angry at him. She wants to be able to fight with him. Whatever comes in the way of her life, good or bad, she wants it with him. Their eyes met sitting across the table where Jessica spread the thick files and paperwork for them to take a look at. She immediately knew that he was breaking inside. He was good at telling lies and keeping a hard face for everyone else. But Betty Cooper has always been the only one to read Jughead Jones as an open book. They need each other.

“Jessica, can you please give us a moment in private?” she requested the elderly woman who nodded and smiled knowingly.

“I will be in my office. Call me when you are done.”

***

Now when they are alone in the eerily cold and quiet office, the silence between them hit him like a ton of bricks. He stared at the glass window stretched over New York City and he blurted out the only thing came to his mind, “you have a nice office.”

At the same time, she choked out, “I read your novel.”

“you did?”

“Of course, I did. It’s beautiful, Jug. I always knew it would be beautiful. I hated that I was not there when you held the published copy for the first time.”

“I hated that you were not with me in every step of the process.”

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

She stepped closer to him. He moved to pull her against his body. They still fit like the two pieces of puzzle. Her head tucked in the crook of his neck, his hands finding their usual place on her waist.

“I’m sorry I let my anxieties rule my decisions.”

“I’m sorry I let my insecurities take over my mind. And now I’m afraid that it’s too late.” He blinked furiously to keep the tears at bay.

She tilted her head back to look him in the eyes and the next moment her hands cupped his cheeks, “No, Jug. It’s us. We can make it work. We can make anything work. Okay?”

“Okay.”

…

“I love you.”

“I love you too. I never stopped and I never will.”

The divorce papers lay in the table, long forgotten as they held onto each other with a renewed promise of never letting go.

* * *

“Juliet Jones”, Betty warned the squealing and running toddler, “if you don’t come here right now, I will not make your favourite chocolate cookies tomorrow.”

The tiny body of her daughter appeared at the hallway, her blue eyes peeking through the unruly locks of midnight hair. She looks exactly like her father and takes after him in many aspects. Like her appetite. But Jughead insists that she has her mothers’ smile that can light up any dark room and the kind heart that aches for everyone. Juliet took calculating steps to where Betty rested on the couch, her feet up on the coffee table, waiting for her husband to be back and give her a foot massage.

“Momma, you sick?” the concern in her eyes made Betty’s heart flutter in her chest.

“No, honey. I’m just tired. Your little brother wore me out.” She held out a hand for her to take and pulled her to sit beside her. At the mention of her brother, Juliet’s eyes lit up. She accepted the idea of being an elder sibling a little too enthusiastically when they broke the news to her seven months ago, demanding to meet the baby every other day. Finally, when she realized that the baby will not appear physically for another few months, she was upset. But seeing her mother’s belly growing bigger and feeling the baby’s kicks on her tiny palm definitely made things better. She tried rubbing her mother’s feet the way she has seen har father do. Betty’s eyes stung with fresh tears as she caught her small wrists to hug her to her chest.

“Daddy not here”, she said in a form of protest, wiggling to get free of her mother’s grasp.

As if on cue, the front door opened, revealing a slightly tired but beaming Jughead. His lips quirked in amusement as he saw his favourite girls cuddling on couch.

“Did anybody miss me?”

“Daddy…daddy”, Juliet fully utilized the momentary distraction Betty had with the arrival of him to get herself on her feet and bolting towards her father. From the moment she was born, she has been a daddy’s girl. Jughead crouched down to gather her in his arms and pressed a kiss on her forehead. She started recounting her stories from the day care excitedly with her father absorbed in her babbling. He walked towards the couch with Juliet in his arms and dropped a kiss on Betty’s hairline, his other hand coming naturally to caress his wife’s cheek. She leaned onto his touch. Even after so many years it feels so calm and mooring for her. It assures her that whatever comes in life, they would face it together, they would always find their way back to each other the same way they did all those years ago.

Soon, Juliet’s eyes started drooping and words incoherent. It was past her bedtime. She was stubborn in her demand to be awake till her father comes home. Jughead carried her to her bedroom and tucked her under the soft blanket. He watched his daughter with pure adoration in his eyes for some time before turning the light off and carefully closing the door on his way out.

“Now, if you are all done with playing your daughter, can I get some attention, Mr. Jones?” his beautiful wife lifted her eyebrow in a playful demand.

“I’m all yours,” he promised, moving to sit next to her on the couch. She wasted no time in claiming his lap for her feet. He rubbed them gently, earning an appreciative moan from his wife.

“How is our Forsythe Jones the fourth doing today?”

Betty gasped suddenly feeling a kick, “Juggie! He either loves or hates the name.”

“I don’t think he loves the name, Betty. Nobody does.” he rolled his eyes.

She scooted closer to him, tucking herself at his side and murmured into his skin, “I do.”

Her eyes twinkled in the overhead light. He could not resist the urge to duck his head and press his lips on hers.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Another day in Cooper-Jones household ended in love, laughter and a promise of togetherness.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, it's not that easy in life, to find your way back to each other. I don't know what the show is going to do to them. But it's bughead and we can dream, right? 🥺🥺


End file.
